the new one
The one on the right is the original angel, the one on the left just added.
They are mirror images, similar but not exactly alike.
I like to wander through shops in Concord at this time of year to just take in the Christmas feeling. There are small trees with handmade ornaments from around the world, there are birds of felt and silver origami stars.
I see miniature snow scenes like the one my mother used to assemble with hand carved figures skating on a round mirror pond dusted with snow.
And of course I seek out the creche scenes; Joseph and Mary bending low over the baby, shepherds and wise men keeping watch and animals all around. At home I have a creche, each figure carved from olive wood made in the Middle East. But the one I treasure is the collection of figures that I have been tenderly unwrapping from tissue paper once a year all my life. This is the creche from my childhood. The camel with his long legs is cracked, but the rest of these figures are fine.
As I wandered through Nesting on Main, I spotted a single angel on a shelf all by herself. I picked her up and looked at the bottom. There on the green base was the familiar stamp, "made in Italy" and the a yellowed square sticker with "JJ Newbury...29 cents" stamped in purple ink. This angel looked similar to the one in my creche at home. I could not leave her there with no baby to bless, no wise men, no cow. She was without her people! I took her to the counter to buy her and the shop keeper said with authority, "she is part of a classic 40's creche." "I know, I answered, I have one at home."
Classic 40's. I pictured mom at JJ Newbury's picking out each figure to create the creche scene that we children would see each year.
"People love angels, she will go soon," the shop keeper continued. "But what people come looking for most often is the baby. For some reason, they go missing. Maybe children tuck them into a pocket or they just get lost in the shuffle."
That did NOT happen in MY household, I thought smugly.
Jesus is alive and well at my house surrounded by adoring figures and now TWO angels keeping watch!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
3 comments:
thanks Barbara - that must be one happy angel to be included in your creche. photo forthcoming???
You are the keeper of the sacred family traditions and memorabilia. Thanks for ignited the memory of the little snow scene and the creche. And now a new angel fitting in perfectly! What a find!
I can "feel" the footsteps on the Concord sidewalks, eyes perusing each window…now what about this spot?…..this looks inviting…and then, a find!
Thank you for taking us with you.
Merry Christmas.
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